Gorj County () is a county (
județ
A ''județ'' (, plural ) is an administrative division in Romania, and was also used from 1940 to 1947 in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and from 1998 to 2003 in Moldova.
''Județ'' translates into English as "jurisdiction", but is co ...
) of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, in
Oltenia
Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
, with its capital city at
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu () is the capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the city: Bârsești, Drăgoieni, Iezureni, Polat ...
. ''Gorj'' comes from the Slavic ''Gor(no)-''
Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with
Dolj
Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)- Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova.
Demographics
In 2011, the count ...
(“lower Jiu”).
Demographics
In 2011, the county had a population of 334,238 and its population density was .
*
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romania ...
– over 98%
*
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
,
others – 2%
Geography
Gorj County has a total area of .
The North side of the county consists of various mountains from the
Southern Carpathians group. In the West there are the
Vâlcan Mountains
The Vâlcan Mountains are a chain of mountains in the Southern Carpathians in Gorj County, Romania. They are part of the Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group. They run for approximately and the highest peak is the Vâlcan Peak at . The mountains run th ...
, and in the East there are the
Parâng Mountains and the
Negoveanu Mountains. The two groups are split by the
Jiu River.
To the South, the heights decrease through the hills to a high plain at the Western end of the
Wallachian Plain
The Romanian Plain ( ro, Câmpia Română) is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia, where it is known as the Wallachian Plain ( sr, Vlaška nizija/Влашка низија). Part of the historical region of Wallachia, it ...
.
The main river, which collects all the smaller rivers, is the
Jiu River.
Neighbours
*
Vâlcea County to the east.
*
Mehedinți County
Mehedinți County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia and Bulgaria. It is mostly located in the historical province of Oltenia, with one municipality ( Orșova) and three communes ( Dubova, Eșelnița, and Svinița) ...
and
Caraș-Severin County
Caraș-Severin () is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia. The majority of its territory lies within the historical region of Banat, with a few northeastern villages considered part of Transylvania. The county seat is Re� ...
to the west.
*
Hunedoara County
Hunedoara County () is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva. The county is part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion.
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as , in German as , and in Slovak a ...
to the north.
*
Dolj County
Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)- Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to '' Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova.
Demographics
In 2011, the c ...
to the south.
Economy
The predominant industries in the county are:
* Mining equipment industry.
* Food and beverages industry.
* Textile industry.
* Mechanical components industry.
* Glass industry.
* Wood industry.
In the North of the county coal is extracted, near
Motru
Motru () is a city in Romania, Gorj County. It is situated on the river Motru in western Oltenia. The county capital Târgu Jiu is located about 35 km northeast. The city administers eight villages: Dealu Pomilor, Horăști, Însurăței, L ...
and
Rovinari. There are two big thermo electrical power plants at
Rovinari and
Turceni, and some hydro-electrical power plants. The county is the biggest electricity producer in Romania, with 36% of the country's electricity.
Due to the decrease in mining activity, the county has one of the highest unemployment levels in the country.
Tourism
The main tourist destinations are:
* The city and the area around
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu () is the capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the city: Bârsești, Drăgoieni, Iezureni, Polat ...
:
** The
Constantin Brâncuși
Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century and a pioneer of modernism, ...
sculptural ensemble;
**
Tismana Monastery.
* The
Parâng Mountains.
*
Polovragi Monastery.
Politics
The Gorj County Council, renewed at the
2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:
Administrative divisions
Gorj County has 2 municipalities, 7 towns and 61 communes
*Municipalities
**
Motru
Motru () is a city in Romania, Gorj County. It is situated on the river Motru in western Oltenia. The county capital Târgu Jiu is located about 35 km northeast. The city administers eight villages: Dealu Pomilor, Horăști, Însurăței, L ...
- population: 18,142 (as of 2011)
**
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu () is the capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the city: Bârsești, Drăgoieni, Iezureni, Polat ...
– capital city; population: 78,553 (as of 2011)
*Towns
**
Bumbești-Jiu
**
Novaci
**
Rovinari
**
Târgu Cărbunești
**
Țicleni
Țicleni is a town in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the w ...
**
Tismana
**
Turceni
*Communes
**
Albeni
**
Alimpești
**
Aninoasa
Aninoasa ( hu, Aninósza or ''Aninószabányatelep'') is a town in Hunedoara County in the Transylvania region of Romania. The town is located in Jiu Valley, which is a coal basin, and many of the towns residents are coal miners. Most of the t ...
**
Arcani
**
Baia de Fier
**
Bălănești
**
Bălești
**
Bărbătești
**
Bengești-Ciocadia
**
Berlești
**
Bâlteni
Bâlteni is a commune in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Bâlteni, Cocoreni, Moi, Peșteana-Jiu and Vlăduleni.
The commune îs situated at a distance of west of Bucharest, south of Târgu Jiu, and north-west of ...
**
Bolboși
**
Borăscu
**
Brănești
**
Bumbești-Pițic
**
Bustuchin
**
Câlnic
**
Căpreni
**
Cătunele
**
Ciuperceni
**
Crasna
**
Crușeț
**
Dănciulești
**
Dănești
**
Drăgotești
**
Drăguțești
**
Fărcășești
**
Glogova
**
Godinești
**
Hurezani
**
Ionești
**
Jupânești
**
Lelești
Lelești is a commune in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Frătești, Lelești and Rasovița.
Natives
* Petre Popeangă Petre Popeangă (born 19 May 1944, Lelești, Gorj County) is a Romanian politician and Member ...
**
Licurici
**
Logrești
**
Mătăsari
Mătăsari is a commune in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to ...
**
Mușetești
**
Negomir
**
Padeș
**
Peștișani
**
Plopșoru
**
Polovragi
**
Prigoria
**
Roșia de Amaradia
**
Runcu
**
Săcelu
**
Samarinești
**
Săulești
**
Schela
**
Scoarța
**
Slivilești
**
Stănești
**
Stejari
**
Stoina
**
Țânțăreni
**
Telești
Telești is a commune in Gorj County
Gorj County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu. ''Gorj'' comes from the Slavic ''Gor(no)-'' Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with Dolj (“lower Jiu”).
...
**
Turburea
Turburea is a commune in Gorj County
Gorj County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu. ''Gorj'' comes from the Slavic ''Gor(no)-'' Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with Dolj (“lower Jiu”).
...
**
Turcinești
**
Urdari
**
Văgiulești
**
Vladimir
Historical county
Historically, the county was located in the southwestern part of
Greater Romania
The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea.
As a concept, its main goal is the creatio ...
, in the northern part of the historical region of
Oltenia
Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
. Its capital was
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu () is the capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the city: Bârsești, Drăgoieni, Iezureni, Polat ...
. The interwar county territory comprised a large part of the current Gorj County.
It was bordered to the west by
Mehedinți County
Mehedinți County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia and Bulgaria. It is mostly located in the historical province of Oltenia, with one municipality ( Orșova) and three communes ( Dubova, Eșelnița, and Svinița) ...
, to the north by the counties of
Hunedoara
Hunedoara (; german: Eisenmarkt; hu, Vajdahunyad ) is a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș (''Grós ...
and
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
, to the east by
Vâlcea County, and to the south by
Dolj County
Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)- Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to '' Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova.
Demographics
In 2011, the c ...
.
Administration
The county was originally divided into four administrative districts (''
plăși''):
[Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Gorj]
/ref>
#Plasa Gilort, headquartered at Gilort
#Plasa Jiu, headquartered at Jiu
#Plasa Novaci, headquartered at Novaci
#Plasa Vulcana, headquartered at Vulcana
Subsequently, two more districts were established:
- Plasa Amaradia, headquartered at Amaradia
- Plasa Ocolu, headquartered at Ocolul
Population
According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 206,339 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 97.9% Romanians, 1.7% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population was 99.6% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.
Urban population
In 1930, the county's urban population was 13,030 inhabitants, comprising 90.0% Romanians, 4.6% Romanies, 1.1% Germans, 0.9% Hungarians, 0.8% Jews, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 95.8% Eastern Orthodox, 2.2% Roman Catholic, 0.8% Jewish, as well as other minorities.
Industry
In the county capital of Târgu Jiu, there was a factory producing roof tiles
Roof tiles are designed mainly to keep out rain, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as terracotta or slate. Modern materials such as concrete, metal and plastic are also used and some clay tiles have a waterpr ...
as of 1931.[H. T. Montague Bell, Near East, Limited, 1931, ''The Near East Year Book and Who's who: A Survey of the Affairs, Political, Economic and Social, of Yugoslavia, Roumania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey'', p. 559]
References
External links
{{Authority control
Counties of Romania
Geography of Wallachia
Place names of Slavic origin in Romania
1879 establishments in Romania
1938 disestablishments in Romania
1940 establishments in Romania
1950 disestablishments in Romania
1968 establishments in Romania
States and territories established in 1879
States and territories disestablished in 1938
States and territories established in 1940
States and territories disestablished in 1950
States and territories established in 1968